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hi northlanguy, those readings are good - congrats on getting them down so well since your diagnosis. The higher morning readings (although, to be honest, between 6 and 7 is not really "high" at all) are due to the so-called Dawn Phenomenon, a well-known issue for diabetics. It is explained...

According to the Collins Gem Carb Counter, parsnips are 10.3g carb per 80g, or very roughly half (or possibly even less) the carb content of a potato. Unless I'm being thick the book doesn't seem to tell you about butternut squash. However, I can tell you I eat both often without any problems in...

I also eat a fair bit of cheese and am not aware of why it should be a problem for diabetics...

Probably many type 2s, myself included, could manage their condition by diet alone in an ideal world, cooking all their meals for themselves. But that's not an option for me as I travel a lot and don't usually have the presence of mind to plan all my meals in advance. I have concerns about...

hi Sara, 6.6 is not bad at all. Best is to get it below 6, but it seems like you might well be able to do that. I myself follow a reduced carb diet, so very little bread, potatoes, rice, pasta. It has certainly helped me. I am on 2x500 Metformin a day and have had no problems with it, although...

Hi Sara, having high readings in the morning unfortunately is quite a common problem amongst diabetics - it's known as "the dawn phenomenon" and there are some good explanations of it on this forum, for example viewtopic.php?f=15&t=13350&p=121455&hilit=dawn+phenomenon#p121455 I had readings in...

hi Drummond, this is a purely personal response with suggestions based on my own experience as a type 2. Morning readings of 11 and 12 are indeed too high, as you know, but I bet you can get them down. For me a day which begins with toast or porridge, then goes on to contain a banana, a slice of...

that's why forums like this one are invaluable - this forum has been much more use to me than any doctor I've seen. :shock: I have nothing against the medical profession and wish them well, but the biggest mistake you can make is just routinely accept what they tell you.

I should have added that I was talking really about type 2s - type 1 is a different situation. Sorry I didn't make that clear.

hi leelun, are you type 2 like me? yes, with the major exception of neuropathy in my feet and a little bit elsewhere, I felt perfectly "normal" before my diagnosis, 18 months ago. Once I was diagnosed and started on 2x Metformin per day, I initially began to feel worse - still had neuropathy...

I don't understand why the NHS can't agree to supplying a limited number of strips on request. So, if a responsible diabetic asks for strips they should just get them, no argument, but personally I'd have no problem if that supply were limited to, say, 30 a month, or even 25 a month. People who...

hi Nigel, yes, he always says "it's fine". I know 85 is possibly a bit high - sometimes it's more like 82 and other times more like 87. Ho hum. Pardon my ignorance, but because I live in Amsterdam and am on a blood pressure pill there called "Micardis Plus" which is not a name that seems to...

I'm basically with you on that one John, as I think of myself as being a "reduced carbs" kind of guy rather than a strict low carber, and my latest HB1Ac was 5.8. Having said that, I think it's CRUCIALLY important that new diabetics be told about the fact that carbs generally will put their...

hi socrates, I started getting the same kind of lightheadedness about a year ago, about six months after diagnosis as T2, but with me it happened after I bent over to tie my shoelaces, not on the bog. Never had anything like it in my life. Didn't feel "serious" but certainly wasn't pleasant...

hi Chris, all sounds quite familiar I'm afraid - the big difference in my levels only came when I started seriously low carbing last May and the difference has been astonishing. Stick to it. I'm on Metformin, which certainly helps, but the dietary changes have been the important ones for me...

hi Carl, there's a long thread on here somewhere about diabetics and alcohol - have a look. Do you test your levels yourself with a meter? That way you can check what effect whiskey (sorry, being Irish I spell it with an "e") has on you. Personally I find, as do many others, that alcohol (in...

hi lilybet, I am also type 2, diagnosed eighteen months ago with a fasting level of 17.6. I was on glimpiride for while but I didn't like it at all and switched back to Metformin, which I've been on ever since without problems. I believe it's a safer drug. I'd really advise you to buy a blood...

hi alison2345, your doctor has to be the one to say it, but yes, this does sound like your blood sugar levels are much higher than in a non-diabetic person. Just for comparison, I was diagnosed eighteen months ago as type 2 diabetic with a fasting level of 17.6. My non-diabetic partner has an...

uh... your question is what exactly? :roll:

I would agree that it's best to have your own meter at home - I got one for about £35 from Boots (although it was on sale). Your BP varies throughout the day quite a bit, and mine is generally high-ish in the mornings. Also if I take a reading, switch the machine off, and then do it again a...